Masako Nozawa, the 89-year-old actor who has voiced Goku in Dragon Ball since 1986, has spoken out against AI videos that imitate her voice without permission. Her comments, reportedly given to NHK and translated by the fan account Dragon Ball Hype, surfaced on 15 October 2026, the same day the Japan Actors Union published guidelines on unauthorised AI voice cloning.
“It might even be a perfect copy. But it has no heart, does it? Without heart, it's no good, whatever the role.”
Masako Nozawa, voice of Goku, to NHK, as translated by Dragon Ball Hype · dexerto.com ↗
Nozawa likened the unapproved use of her voice to theft and said it made her angry. She allowed that a clone might sound flawless but argued it carries no feeling, and that without feeling it fails whatever the part. She is not opposed to AI as such: in a video backing the announcement she said she was excited by what it could do, so long as people ask first.
Dragon Ball artwork illustrating the voice actor's complaint about AI imitations
CBR · Image: Gadget Review
The union, which represents about 2,600 actors and voice performers, wants consent at each stage of the process. Dexerto lists training models, making new recordings and publishing content; Gadget Review describes training or analysis, building a voice model, and publishing or selling the audio. The guidelines also ask for separate payment at each stage, restrict the voices of deceased performers without heirs' agreement, and say AI should not replace humans in dubbing.
The guidelines are voluntary rather than law, and Gadget Review, citing Jiji Press, notes Japan has no comprehensive statutory protection for voices. Legal remedies and cross-border enforcement remain open. Other voices in the field have complained too, including Evangelion's Megumi Ogata in August 2026.
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